Happily Ever Afters
by agn1ka1
Summary: It's been four months since Howl got his heart back, and Sophie is more than a little annoyed that the happily ever after that she was promised hasn't exactly occurred yet. As a matter of fact, Howl hasn't said a thing about it ever since. Cleaning, arguments, and misunderstandings ensue, and Sophie hopes there may just be a little romance along the way too.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Happily Ever Afters - Part 1/5?

**Summary: **It's been four months since Howl got his heart back, and Sophie is more than a little annoyed that the happily ever after that she was promised hasn't exactly occurred yet. As a matter of fact, Howl hasn't said a thing about it ever since. Cleaning, arguments, and misunderstandings ensue, and Sophie hopes there may just be a little romance along the way too.

**Pairings: **Howl/Sophie, Ben/Lettie, mentions of Michael/Martha

**Warnings: **Mild explicit content, discussion of sex

_Thought we left a trail_  
_Back to the way that it was_  
_I can see it now_  
_In your eyes you let it fall_

_**Echo**_**, Foxes**

* * *

"So you're happy there?"

A huge smile spread across Lettie's face. "Oh, Sophie! You can't even begin to understand. Be- Wizard Suliman is such a good teacher, and he's so _nice_-"

Sophie laughed and reached across the table to squeeze her sister's hand. "Honestly, Lettie, don't try and pretend to me that he's not something more than a teacher. I know you."

Lettie lifted her chin haughtily, shaking back her dark curls. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said in a dignified tone of voice. "Wizard Suliman is an excellent teacher, and I'm learning a great deal from him..." A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "You've always been able to tell when I was lying, haven't you?"

"Naturally." Sophie smiled at her younger sister. Four months since her curse was broken, four months since Lettie moved to Kingsbury to study with Suliman... Not that they had been an easy four months, of course. War with Strangia had been declared only days after Prince Justin had been reinstated as head of the army, and both Howl and Suliman had been working tirelessly - though not without a great many complaints on the part of the former - to both prepare and counter attacks. Prince Justin was an excellent tactician, but there was a great difference between reading about battles in the papers and actually putting together the spells to be used, Sophie was beginning to realise.

Lettie was talking excitedly. "And I'm sure you think Ben's quite scary - well, he _is_, when he wants to be - but he's really so kind to me, even when I don't understand things. And he always makes sure that none of his apprentices work for too long at a time, but then I have to practically drag him physically away from his workroom so he doesn't work the whole night through. I'm fairly sure Howl does things differently?"

Sophie smirked slightly. "You could say that. Michael usually has to drag him down to his workroom in the first place."

"Speaking of Howl-" Lettie leant closer in, conspiratorial. "Don't tell him about me and Ben. _Please_, Sophie."

The older girl frowned slightly and glanced across at the hearth, double-checking that Calcifer hadn't returned while the two had been talking. While no longer being contractually obliged to, the fire demon was still perfectly happy to report anything he heard to Howl, especially if it contained the words 'but don't tell Howl'.

"I won't if you don't want me to, obviously, but why? Howl will tease Suliman mercilessly about it, of course, but nothing more than that."

Lettie waved a hand airily. "Oh, it's not _me_ that minds, but Ben says there's some stupid rule forbidding wizards from having sexual relationships with their apprentices, so we thought we'd wait a while-"

Sophie gaped at her sister. "Lettie? What are you...?"

"Well, there's no need to tell everyone right away, of course..." Lettie broke off at the look on Sophie's face. "Oh. The other thing. Didn't you guess?"

"No. No, I didn't." Sophie dropped her head into her hands for a moment. "Oh, Lettie."

"What?" Lettie shifted nervously in her chair. "Sophie, is something the matter?"

"It's just..." Sophie gestured helplessly. "Oh, _Lettie_. How could you?"

"How could I what?" Lettie asked defensively, tossing back her dark curls, eyes flashing. "What's so wrong with it?"

"He's so much older than you, for one," Sophie said.

"No," Lettie replied immediately. "He's not, not _really_. Only two years older than Howl. He looks much younger when he stops being Wizard Suliman and starts being just Ben." She held her hand up before Sophie could interrupt. "And before you say I'm too young, I'm not. I'm seventeen, Sophie, and you wouldn't _believe_ the number of boys who have tried this with me before that I've refused. Can't you just be happy for me?"

"I _am_ happy, Lettie. I really am." Sophie caught hold of both of her sister's hands across the table. "It was just a bit of a shock, that's all. If you're fine, and he's not hurting you, then I'm happy."

"Oh, he isn't hurting me at all!" Lettie reassured her. "I mean, I thought he would, that first time, he's just so strong, but he didn't."

"So being scared is normal, then?" Sophie wondered.

"Oh, yes. Martha told me she was as well-" Lettie winced slightly. "You didn't know about that either, did you?"

Sophie buried her head in her hands. "I know she's fifteen, and perfectly capable of making her own decisions, and she's been with Michael for over six months now, but... Oh, _no_. I'm not going to be able to look Michael in the eye for at least a week."

Lettie just laughed. "We're not all your responsibility anymore, Sophie. Once you get used to that fact, I'm sure you'll be fine." She hesitated for a second. "So, since we're being all open with each other... How was Howl?"

Sophie wasn't sure what her expression told Lettie, but it seemed to be bad.

"Oh, Sophie! He hasn't hurt you, has he? Is that why you were so worried about me and Ben? If he's tried to take advantage of you in _any_ _way_ , Sophie, I swear I'll-"

"No!" Sophie shook her head vehemently. "He hasn't, I swear." She felt her face crumple then, and curled her fingers into her skirts. "To be honest, I almost wish he would."

Lettie gaped at her. "You mean you haven't...? He hasn't...?"

Sophie looked away, not wanting to meet Lettie's eyes. "No. He hasn't." And then, as though the floodgates had opened, "It's been four _months_ , Lettie, since he told me we were going to live happily ever after, and since then he's barely given me a goodnight kiss. We're just carrying on like we were before my curse was broken - I'm doing the cleaning, and the cooking, and fixing his suits whenever a spell goes wrong, and I don't know what he _wants_."

"Why don't you just tell him?" Lettie wanted to know. "You're at least as strong-minded as me - although maybe stubborn is a better word - and I solved all my problems with Ben by letting him know in no uncertain terms what I wanted from him. Surely if you just tell Howl-"

"But I don't dare!" Sophie cried. "I _know_ what he's like, or at least what he's been like with every other girl. The minute anyone tells him, he stops paying attention to them!"

"But surely he's already done that?" Lettie asked gently. "Look, Sophie, this is clearly making you unhappy. Just tell him. And if he does anything to hurt you... Well, Ben is all but your brother-in-law now. I'm sure Howl will think twice."

"Think twice about what?" Calcifer drifted down through the chimney and settled onto the hearth.

"About messing up any more suits after what I said I'd do to him," Sophie said, quickly recovering herself. "Since Calcifer's back, Lettie, do you want another cup of tea? Or some of that chocolate stuff that Howl brought back from Wales?"

"No, thanks." Lettie wrapped her shawl around her shoulders as she stood up. "I'd best be getting back, I've got lessons this afternoon. Oh, it _is_ cold outside though - I might just slap that boy if he's put the fire out in the workroom."

"What boy?"

"Oh, just another apprentice. Sophie, which colour is Kingsbury?"

"Yellow-down," she called over her shoulder. "It used to be Market Chipping, but we've got the shop door for that now. Calcifer, will you stop being so stubborn and let me put the kettle on already? It was good seeing you, Lettie - you need to come more often."

Lettie paused with one hand on the doorknob. "Remember what we talked about, Sophie," she said meaningfully, then she was gone.

"What did you talk about?" Calcifer asked curiously.

Sophie filled the kettle and waited for Calcifer to lower his head before replying. "Nothing in particular. What time is Howl getting back?"

As predicted, Calcifer flared up a little at the question and didn't seem to notice - or at least not care - about the change in subject. "He's an idiot. He's trying to stay out at Kingsbury market for as long as possible so that he doesn't have to do that spell the King asked for, but then when he _finally_ realises he's only got a day to do it he'll try and get me to do it for him - I know he will. He always does."

Sophie took the kettle back, which had boiled especially quickly due to Calcifer's annoyance, and made a cup of tea for herself. Leaving it to cool, she grabbed an apron and tied it around herself before grabbing a broom and a bucket.

"Calcifer," she said firmly. "If you don't want to get smothered I suggest you leave now."

"Are you cleaning?" Calcifer flew up and hovered just above the hearth. "You're angry-cleaning, aren't you? Was it something Lettie said?"

"Howl," Sophie said grimly, wielding the broom like it was a weapon of mass destruction - which, as far as the men and fire demon of the house were concerned, it was.

"Well..." Calcifer said slowly as he bobbed upwards towards the chimney. "He'll be back in about two hours, so I'll make myself scarce until then, shall I?" Before Sophie could reply, he darted upwards out of sight and she felt the familiar gust of magic as he left.

"Coward," Sophie grumbled, but she couldn't find it in herself to be too annoyed with the fire demon. If she had been faced with herself, she would have left too.

In the end, she spent a rather satisfying rest of the afternoon cleaning the entire castle from head to toe, all except Michael and Howl's rooms. Michael kept his passably tidy now Martha came to visit regularly, and Howl, although he had grown used to having a clean room, did not currently deserve one. Sophie took especial care with her own little cubbyhole below the stairs, and then took a kind of grim pleasure in tidying Howl's workbench. He hated it when she did that. Although she wasn't quite cross enough to kill any of Howl's spiders - she didn't dare - she was rather more violent with them than usual.

It was just over two and a half hours later by the time Sophie had finished scrubbing. She was just sweeping the last of the kitchen floor ready to brush out of the moving castle doorway when the knob twisted back round to yellow-down and Howl entered, stamping his boots on the mat that Sophie had installed there especially for the snow.

"My god, it's cold out there!" he exclaimed. "Got a warm drink for me, Sophie?"

Sophie slid past him, deftly avoiding any contact because she _knew_ what effect that would have on her plan, banged the door shut with her hip, twisted the knob back around to purple-down, opened the door and swept the dirt out, shut it again, and only _then_ answered Howl. "You'll have to light a fire if you want one," she said bluntly, not looking at him as she double-checked there were no ashes from Calcifer's grate blown onto the floor. "Calcifer went out a few hours ago."

Howl grumbled a little under his breath, but then took one look at the results of Sophie's relentless cleaning spree and went to set a fire up. He seemed to know very well what the implications of a spotless house were. He'd only just got the kindling ready, though, when Calcifer dropped back down the chimney.

"It's _snowing_ ," he said, sounding disgusted. "My first winter as a free fire demon, and it starts snowing before we even reach November." Then, as he noticed the kindling in the hearth, "Sophie, are you trying to replace me with a dumb fire?"

"It was Howl," she said, straightening the coverlet on her bed and still not turning around. "He wanted a drink."

"Could have had the decency to wait until I got back," the fire demon grumbled. "Instead of lighting a dumb fire in _my_ hearth."

"So," Howl said, folding his arms with a flourish of trailing mauve sleeves. "Let me get this straight - you complain when I cook on you, then you complain when I light a fire so that I'm _not_ cooking on you?"

In the ensuing argument, the result of which was that Howl didn't get his hot drink after all, both completely forgot about Sophie and her bad mood. Normally this wouldn't have bothered her, but in the aftermath of her talk with Lettie, _everything_ seemed to be bothering her. It was as though telling Lettie about the fears that she'd barely admitted to herself had made her notice Howl's indifference all the more.

"Well," Howl said huffily, turning his back on Calcifer with a flourish. "I will get a cold, and then you'll complain about me throwing tissues into your grate and you'll only have yourself to blame."

Sophie snorted and banged her broom back into the cupboard, and sensed rather than saw Howl's surprise as he swung round to face her, just in time to get distracted _again_ by Michael coming through from the flower shop.

"If you've got a cold," he said, laughing. "You won't be wanting warm Cesari's pastries then." He waved the paper bag enticingly in Howl and Sophie's direction. Sophie felt her face go red at the memory of Lettie's words regarding Michael and Martha.

"I'll have mine for supper," she muttered.

Howl made a grab for the bag. "I think that's best, yes," he agreed. "But still, warm pastries... Sophie, would you mind making sure these stayed warm?"

Sophie automatically took the bag offered to her and bent her head over it. "Stay warm," she told them, rather irritated and feeling extremely used. "Stay warm until we want to eat you."

Tea consisted of omelettes, which were a nice change from the usual bacon and egg, but Sophie couldn't help but notice that she was the one who had cooked them all - all except Michael's, since she was eating her own at that point, and even then Howl complained about being forced into menial servitude as he cracked the eggs until Michael gave up and did it himself. Sophie realised at that point why she always felt so put-upon. She did things if Michael asked, because he tended to ask nicely, and both she and Michael did things for Howl just to stave off his bad moods. It seemed to Sophie that the only person in the castle that could make Howl do _anything_ was Calcifer, if he complained enough. Apparently, the person at the top in the castle was a fire demon. But then, she reflected, she was perfectly capable of bullying and persuading Calcifer into doing things, more so than Howl was. So who came out best here? Whatever way she looked at it, Sophie realised, it was Howl. If he wanted something off Calcifer, he just got her to ask. Even so, that still put her right at the bottom.

This thought niggled at her all the rest of dinner, until Michael had scraped the burnt bits off his plate and fed them to Calcifer, and annoyed her so much that when Howl sat back in his chair and said "And now, pastries. Sophie, I'll have the one with the most cream," she almost slapped him. Or yelled. Or both. She held her tongue as she went to fetch the bag, though. It was Howl she was angry at, not Michael, so she wouldn't make a scene in front of him. Even so, at least a little of her irritation had been picked up on by the pastries, possibly helped along by her muttered running commentary on Howl and his insufferable smugness. While her own pastry and Michael's felt as though they'd just been baked and left to cool – a perfect temperature – Howl swore and yanked the half-bitten pastry out of his mouth.

"Sophie! What on earth have you been _saying_ to these poor pastries? I swear I've just burnt half my tongue off."

"That you wanted them warm," Sophie snapped, feeling like a crotchety old woman again. "If you've got a problem, take it up with the pastries."

Howl looked rather surprised at the vehemence in her voice and Michael sprang to his feet and began to clear the plates with a clatter.

"Martha's finished her shift by now," he called over his shoulder as he dumped the plates into the sink. "So I'll just go and, erm... go." He cast another look at where Sophie was glowering and Howl was sat with a look of bewilderment, and fled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Happily Ever Afters - Part 2/5?

**Summary: **It's been four months since Howl got his heart back, and Sophie is more than a little annoyed that the happily ever after that she was promised hasn't exactly occurred yet. As a matter of fact, Howl hasn't said a thing about it ever since. Cleaning, arguments, and misunderstandings ensue, and Sophie hopes there may just be a little romance along the way too.

**Pairings: **Howl/Sophie, Ben/Lettie, mentions of Michael/Martha

**Warnings: **Mild explicit content, discussion of sex

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed and favourited! (Laveycee, MasterOwl, rvgt32, JetfireWeasleyThe5th, caitreylove, Tori Kay, Hpwise, endersgirl104, NightFuryofGallifrey, Brushtail42, jazz34, Evara Silvaen, Frogster, SillyLeafHamster, shattered rainbow)

Sorry the next chapter took a while in coming, I had exams to do and revise for... But they're over now, so I should be able to update more often.

_Silence is a curse_  
_I feel it breaking the ice_  
_I can see it now_  
_In your eyes you let it fall_

_**Echo**_**, Foxes**

* * *

"Humph," Sophie muttered, striding across to the sink and ordering the water there to heat up so she could wash the pots. She missed being old when she was in this mood, she realised. She could stomp around with her stick and generally act like a grumpy old woman back then, but now she just felt like an idiot if she tried it. She could feel Howl watching her a little warily from behind, but steadfastly ignored him.

After an awkward few minutes, Howl cleared his throat. "I've got some business in Kingsbury." He paused, apparently waiting for a reaction. When Sophie didn't offer one, he continued. "There's a spell I need to sort out with Suliman." Another pause. "Aren't you going to say anything, Sophie?"

"Do I need to?" Sophie bent her head over the plates she was washing, letting red-gold waves conceal her face from Howl. "It's your house. Why should you bother asking me?"

Behind her, Howl stood up, scraping his chair noisily on the stone flags. "I'll say hello to your sister, shall I?"

"I've already seen her today," Sophie said stiffly.

There was another short pause, and by the time Howl answered he was at the door. "Right. Fine," he said in much the same tone of voice as Sophie had just used and the door slammed behind him as he left.

Calcifer whistled. "What has Lettie been _saying_ to you?"

"None of your business," Sophie snapped back, and Calcifer crackled darkly and disappeared up through the chimney, muttering about how he wasn't going to come back until Sophie wasn't in such a bad mood. She ignored him, still preoccupied with how on earth she was going to give Howl the ultimatum she had promised Lettie. She had a long while to think it over, because they had eaten at seven, and it was nearing midnight when Howl finally returned. Sophie was sat hunched in the chair near the hearth, taking up the hems of her dresses so she could walk in the snow without them getting wet. Michael had popped his head around the door at about eight, asking if Howl would mind him staying at Martha's for the night, and Sophie had given permission automatically - though not without an internal wince at the remembrance of Lettie's revelation. In other words, she was alone when Howl returned.

"Sophie," Howl said after a moment without bothering to greet her first. "And this is an honest question - what _exactly_ have I done to deserve the en masse rage of the Hatter family? Your sister would barely look at me."

"That's Lettie's business," Sophie said absently, finishing off her last dress. She looked up and was shocked at Howl's appearance. His hair was still perfectly styled, his clothes perfectly in order - Sophie reminded herself that she shouldn't use the word _perfect_ in conjunction with Howl, since it was all show - but he looked pale and haggard, with dark shadows round his eyes. "I'm going to bed," she told him, a little gentler than she'd been speaking to him so far. "I suggest you do the same." She had her back turned to Howl, putting away her sewing kit and dress, and didn't hear him come up behind her.

"Sophie," he said softly, and she tensed slightly as he put a hand on her arm and turned her to face him.

"Howl-" she started, but he pressed the tip of his finger against her lips and she stopped, startled. His eyes were fixed on hers and the look in them made Sophie so uncomfortable that she dropped her gaze. That proved to be a mistake, since that meant that she saw his lips, slightly parted, chapped from the cold, coming closer and closer to her. Sophie felt her eyes start to drift closed, felt the brush of his warm breath against her lips, and remembered why she was annoyed with him. She turned her head to one side so Howl's lips just brushed her cheek, hearing the sharp exhale as he realised what she'd done.

"Sophie?" She slowly turned her head again so she was looking at him. "Sophie, please. Just tell me what's wrong."

"You," Sophie said simply, but felt a sharp twist in her gut at the hurt and confusion in Howl's glass-green eyes and the slight furrow between his brows. "I want you to _make your mind up_, Howl," she rushed on while he was still listening to her. "You can't say you want a happy ever after with me, and then not say a word about it for months after. You can't keep me around as some sort of _cleaning lady_-" She spat the words out and had the satisfaction of seeing Howl flinch slightly. "-and then not expect me to get annoyed when you don't say a _single word_ about what you want from me!" Sophie jabbed a finger at his chest and saw Howl flinch again. "What is it you want, Howl? If you want me to be some sort of servant here, then tell me. If you want me to leave, then tell me that. But don't keep slithering out!"

Howl slipped a finger beneath her chin, lifting it slightly, but Sophie pulled her head away and took a step backwards. "And don't think you can keep doing that, either! You can't have me being some sort of help around the house and think you can keep me from saying anything about it just by taking advantage of the fact that I love you and giving me a peck on the cheek every now and then just to keep me happy. And Lettie _knows_ that I'm not happy now, and believe me, if she wants you to leave me alone you will, because trust me, she's most likely got Wizard Suliman wrapped around her little finger by now, however strong-minded he is, and-"

"Sophie?" There was a strange look in Howl's eyes as he said it, and Sophie abruptly realised that she'd been rambling and shut her mouth with a snap. "Say that again," Howl said softly, and Sophie had no idea why he would want to hear her threats again.

"Lettie has Wizard Suliman wrapped around her little finger?" she offered.

"No." Howl had his eyes fixed intently on her face. "Not that. The bit before that."

"You need to stop slithering out and make your mind up was the general message," Sophie snapped, almost losing her temper again. "And that applies to now as well-"

"Actually," Howl said, taking the smallest of steps forward, and Sophie felt her breath catch."I was talking about the bit in between."

Sophie mentally ran back over the conversation and blanched at the realisation of what she'd said in her anger. "Oh," she said a little faintly.

"Oh, indeed," Howl agreed, closing the distance between them, and this time Sophie didn't turn away.

He kissed her softly, sweetly, the stuff of romance, but much more real than anything that Sophie could ever have imagined. She felt her knees buckle beneath her, winding her arms around Howl's neck to keep her balance, twisting strands of blonde around her fingers. One of Howl's hands slipped from the small of her back to slightly lower and Sophie heard herself let out a small gasp of surprise. Apparently Howl heard too, because suddenly his tongue was slipping between her slightly parted lips and Sophie returned the kiss with full force. She felt the backs of her legs bump against Howl's workbench and before she could move he pressed her backwards over it. Sophie was forced to let go of him with one hand so she could steady herself and Howl pulled back from the kiss for a second and twined his fingers through hers. She stared up at him, breathing heavily and noticing every detail as though it was the first time. The way the candlelight reflected off his glass-green eyes and soft blonde hair, the slight flush high on his prominent cheekbones, his chapped and swollen lips and how he was worrying at the lower one with his teeth.

"The bit in between," she managed to say. "Was it 'I love you?"

Howl traced the curve of her jaw with the tips of his fingers, and Sophie could smell the lotion he used to stop them from getting chapped. Hyacinths, she thought dizzily, just like on May Day. "Say it again," he murmured in a low voice, leaning closer.

Sophie swallowed. "I love you?" Howl followed the line his fingers had traced with his lips, grazing his teeth against the curve of her neck as Sophie arched backwards and scrambled for balance with the hand not currently knotted in Howl' hair. Her arm knocked against something and she heard glass shatter on the stone flags. "Howl!" Sophie managed to say. "I just cleaned-" She broke off with a squeak as Howl's mouth found the hollow of her collarbone and proceeded to pay it an awful lot of attention.

"You complain about me making you my cleaning lady," he said after a moment. "Has it ever occurred to you that I've never actually _asked_ you to clean the castle?"

If it wasn't for the fact that he said these words with his lips against her skin, it could almost have sounded like the prelude to an argument. "You can't complain," Sophie managed to say. "I haven't cleaned your room today."

"That's good." Howl pressed another kiss to the underside of Sophie's jaw. "I was saving that for your birthday."

"What?" Sophie wriggled indignantly beneath Howl's weight and felt the vibrations running through her body. "Cobwebs and dirty sheets?"

"Actually, I was thinking clean sheets for your birthday." Howl kissed her again. "It would make the whole thing much more romantic."

Sophie stared up at him, wide-eyed at what he was suggesting, and then they were both distracted by Calcifer dropping back down the chimney to settle in the hearth. Sophie squeaked and tried to get up from beneath Howl, but he kissed the wrist of the hand he was holding and kept her there.

"Calcifer, old friend," he said, his voice deceptively level. "I know that over the years I've shared just about everything with you, and fire demon or not, I trust you implicitly, but I'll say this once and once only. _Go away_."

Calcifer cackled, looking between them until Sophie blushed crimson, stopped trying to hide behind Howl, and stared defiantly back. The fire demon bared his long purple teeth and cackled again. "_Finally_," he said, and disappeared back up the chimney.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Happily Ever Afters - Part 3/5?

**Summary: **It's been four months since Howl got his heart back, and Sophie is more than a little annoyed that the happily ever after that she was promised hasn't exactly occurred yet. As a matter of fact, Howl hasn't said a thing about it ever since. Cleaning, arguments, and misunderstandings ensue, and Sophie hopes there may just be a little romance along the way too.

**Pairings: **Howl/Sophie, Ben/Lettie, mentions of Michael/Martha

**Warnings: **Mild explicit content, discussion of sex

Thanks to Evara Silvaen, sailor winx, Junia Grey and halcyonish for the faves follows, and reviews!

_I can hear your thoughts_  
_Please don't leave me now_  
_I can't sleep alone_  
_Chasing the light until the dawn_

_**Echo**_**, Foxes**

* * *

Howl turned his attention back to Sophie with a smile. "So sorry for the interruption. Where were we? Oh yes, _now_ I remember..."

Sophie raised one hand and pressed it to Howl's mouth before he could kiss her again. "I need to talk to you."

He kissed the palm of her hand and then straightened up to let her move. Sophie adjusted her skirts, aware of how they were rucked up around her knees, and sat on the workbench. Howl hopped up beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and tugging her closer until Sophie's head rested against his shoulder.

"What is it?" he asked softly.

Sophie shifted slightly until she was looking up at him. "If you've felt like this ever since Midsummer... Why didn't you do anything? Say anything?"

Howl frowned down at her. "I kissed you, didn't I?"

"Only for the first few weeks, and that was it." Sophie narrowed her eyes. "No other mention of it at any other time. Why?"

"You didn't kiss me back!" Howl protested. "If you _had_, I would have done something!"

Sophie flattened her palm against his chest. "Did it ever occur to you," she commented dryly. "Even for a second, that it might have had something to do with the fact that every time you kissed me it left me completely unable to function for at least five seconds? For the first few times, anyway."

"Really?" Howl grinned down at her and Sophie felt a strange flutter in the pit of her stomach. "So, just to clarify... If I do _this_..." He tilted her head back and pressed his lips to hers. Sophie felt herself completely seize up again, just like she had every other time, too out of her mind with _HowlHowlHowlHowl'skissingme_ to react for a good few seconds. This time, though, the kiss lingered for long enough for Sophie to come back to herself so she could curl her fingers into Howl's suit and deepen the kiss. This time it was Howl who broke it off with a breathless laugh.

"It takes approximately three and a half seconds for you to start kissing me back," he told her.

Sophie frowned at him. "It might not be as long if you gave me your full attention rather than counting the seconds."

Howl grinned back, twirling a strand of her red-gold hair around his fingers. "I have a feeling that another thing that might reduce that timespan is practice." He used the curl to tug her closer so that Sophie could feel his breath burning her skin - or that's what it felt like, anyway. "Shall we, my dear?"

Sophie let her eyes drift half-closed and tilted her head towards Howl's just as there was a thud from behind them. Kiss forgotten, she spun round to see Calcifer yet again settled in his hearth, adjusting the logs.

"I thought I told you to go away," Howl said with a frown.

"I did," Calcifer pointed out. "And I will again in a second. I just thought I'd remind you that you've got to go to the Palace tomorrow morning. Sleep would be useful. I'd rather not deal with you being grumpy, so I'd advise you to bring your little session here to a close, since you've both got places to be in the morning."

Sophie blushed bright crimson. "Calcifer!"

The fire demon just cackled and shot back up the chimney, and Howl brushed a curl out of her face. "You know, Sophie, you should remember that he _was_ part of me for five years. We're altogether too similar."

That didn't do anything to lessen the redness - in fact, it just made it worse. "Howl, I don't think-" Sophie's words stuttered to a stop. Despite what she'd said to Lettie only that morning, she didn't feel anywhere near ready to take these new-found feelings with Howl to the next step.

He kissed her again, lips just brushing the corner of her mouth. "I'm not going to do that, Sophie, not unless you're completely sure. For now-" Howl carded his fingers through her hair and smiled. "For now I'll just kiss you goodnight."

As it turned out, the kiss goodnight was really quite lengthy - not that Sophie was complaining, of course. After Howl had finally made it upstairs, she pulled off her dress and slipped on her nightgown. Sleeping right next to Calcifer's hearth as she did, Sophie had never bothered to buy a thicker nightgown - a fact that, with the fire demon gone, she was beginning to regret. She wrapped the blankets tighter around herself and shivered for several minutes before she got anywhere near sleep.

Sophie was woken from her half-doze by the sound of the door creaking open. She sat bolt upright, clutching the blankets to her chest, and relaxed when she recognised the silhouette at the bottom of the stairs.

"Sophie?" Howl asked softly. "What is it? Did I wake you?"

"I wasn't really asleep." Sophie squinted against the darkness, trying to see Howl as he moved across the room. "What are you doing up?"

"I remembered the glass. I didn't want you to wake up in the night and stand on it." Before Sophie could quite process Howl's movements in the darkness, he was next to her bed. "Sophie, you look _freezing_."

Sophie laid back down and tugged the covers up to her neck. "Just a bit chilly, that's all."

"Nonsense." There was a shifting sound; Sophie could just make out Howl's movements but not clearly enough to see what he was doing. "It's snowing outside in Market Chipping, and Calcifer isn't here." He straightened up, a dark shadow against the dim light coming through the curtains. "Move over." Before Sophie could question what he was doing, Howl had pushed back her covers and slid underneath them.

"Howl!" she squawked. "What are _doing_?"

"Keeping you warm. Like I said, it's freezing in here. Besides, my room's cold as well."

Sophie could hear the smile in his voice. "Slitherer-outer," she muttered, but there was no venom in her words, and Howl just laughed.

They lay there for a moment, shoulder-to-shoulder, Sophie pressed up against the wall and Howl, she suspected, half off the edge of the bed. He didn't try to move closer, though, or persuade her to do anything, so for a little while Sophie just lay still, trying to get used to the sensation of having someone - of having _Howl_ \- in the bed next to her. She and Lettie and Martha had shared a bed in the past, of course, but even though the principle was the same it was somehow completely, totally different to the feeling of laying here next to Howl, even though they were barely touching at all compared to earlier.

It was the memory of _earlier_ that finally prompted Sophie to turn her head and look at Howl. He was laid in much the same position, looking at her with a slight smile on his face.

"What are you thinking?" she asked softly.

"I'm thinking about you thinking," Howl murmured back rather surprisingly. "Or rather, the faces you make." The tip of his finger brushed her forehead, just between her brows. "You get a little line just here."

Sophie hummed slightly in vague agreement, feeling still not quite warm but very, very sleepy. "Howl," she said, forcing her eyes open to meet his. "I'm cold."

Howl laughed softly. "That's why I'm here, _cariad_, remember?"

What I need to remember, Sophie decided, is to ask him in the morning what _cariad_ means. Right now, though, she was still too tired to verbalise the question so instead she just turned over onto her side and, slowly, waiting for a sign of assent, slid her arm across Howl's body until it reached his shoulder. His own arm wrapped around her back, pulling her closer, and Sophie sighed into him. Before any more adjustments could be made, she was asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **Happily Ever Afters - Part 4/5?

**Summary: **It's been four months since Howl got his heart back, and Sophie is more than a little annoyed that the happily ever after that she was promised hasn't exactly occurred yet. As a matter of fact, Howl hasn't said a thing about it ever since. Cleaning, arguments, and misunderstandings ensue, and Sophie hopes there may just be a little romance along the way too.

**Pairings: **Howl/Sophie, Ben/Lettie, mentions of Michael/Martha

**Warnings: **Mild explicit content, discussion of sex

_Don't hide in the dark_  
_Playing shadow games_  
_Turn out the lights_  
_Time for a change_

_**Echo**_**, Foxes**

* * *

Light was filtering in through the curtains when Sophie managed to prise her eyes open. It took a moment for her to process where she was - in her bed, one arm draped over Howl's chest, the other hand scrunched in the collar of his shirt, head pillowed on his shoulder. In the night she had at some point rucked up her nightdress above her knees and she could feel the smooth fabric of Howl's trousers against her thigh where it was half-thrown over Howl's own legs. She blinked and met his eyes, crinkled into a smile.

"I was going to get up, but you wouldn't let me." Howl combed one hand through her hair and Sophie realised with a start that his other arm was curled around her waist. "You're a very determined snuggler, did you know that?"

"I've never really had the opportunity to find out." Sophie curled into him, feeling the heat of his body pressed against hers and remembering only after she'd done so that she was only in a nightgown - in other words, no corset - and a certain part of her anatomy was pressed up against Howl in a rather intimate fashion. Since he didn't mention it, Sophie fought down the blush that was threatening to rise to her cheeks and rested her head against Howl's shoulder again.

"We should have done this months ago," Howl murmured into her hair, chin pressed against the top of Sophie's head, and she shifted slightly against him.

"Well, whose fault is it that we _didn't_?"

"I have absolutely no clue what you're talking about," Howl said, dignified. "I was the perfect gentleman while I was courting you."

Sophie snorted. "You do realise that the whole point of courting is that you let the woman know, don't you?"

Howl laughed, and Sophie bit her lip slightly at the vibrations rumbling through her body where it was pressed against him. "Well, why don't we remedy that now?"

His hand slipped round to cup her chin and raise it to kiss her. Sophie loosened her fist from Howl's shirt, brushing the tips of her fingers across the exposed line of his collarbone and slid her hand round to curl it around the back of his neck and deepen the kiss. She felt his arm tighten around her waist and pull her closer, his fingers digging into the curve of her hip to hold her in place as his other hand traced its way down the line of her spine. Sophie heard herself make a noise maybe halfway between a gasp and a whimper at the sensation, feeling as though his fingers were burning through the thin cloth and into her skin. Howl nipped at the soft skin just below the lobe of her ear and Sophie heard herself gasp again and tilted her head for Howl to trace a line of nips and kisses down the line of her jaw and the smooth curve of her neck.

"Sophie," he murmured against her skin, his voice husky and sending a shiver down her back. "Sophie, _cariad_..." His teeth grazed the hollow of her throat and Sophie heard herself whimper again and curled her hand against Howl's back and the sharp jut of his shoulder blade, feeling her nails digging into him.

She almost didn't hear a door bang open and a voice call out, "Sorry it's before breakfast, but Martha got an early shift at the last minute, so I thought I'd better _oh God no I did not just see that_!"

The last part came out as a sort of strangled yell, and Sophie squeaked and burrowed down into the covers, the atmosphere from five seconds earlier now completely gone. Nothing killed the mood, she thought gloomily, as much as a practically-son and future brother-in-law walking in on an otherwise rather pleasant 'courting' session. It suddenly came to her attention that diving beneath the covers had put her in even closer proximity to Howl, and would look even _worse_ to Michael, so she wriggled back up just in time to hear Michael complaining.

"I mean, I'm happy for you and all, but couldn't you at least have the courtesy to do that _upstairs_, in _Howl's room_, which, might I remind you, has a _door_..."

Michael was facing half-away from them, flapping his arms meaningfully in the direction of the stairs, red in the face and eyes tightly shut. Howl pushed back the covers and stood up.

"I'm fully dressed, Michael, for God's sake! We only stopped arguing last night, we didn't take things _that_ far."

"Far enough to possibly scar me for life," Michael grumbled, but turned around and made a face at Howl who was stood, arms folded, in an unfastened undershirt and trousers, his hair tousled.

The man waved a hand flippantly. "It's nothing you and Martha haven't done, unless those red marks on your neck last week were from some sort of rampant octopus?"

Michael went even redder and opened his mouth to make a retort, but Sophie firmly diffused the situation by sitting up and glaring at them both. "It was freezing last night, Calcifer wasn't here, one thing led to another and nothing went quite that far. Now, if we've all quite finished, I'd like to get dressed." She looked meaningfully at the stairs and both traipsed up without another word, although Howl did cast her several backwards glances on the way - some of them wistful and some of them... well, not. Sophie narrowed her eyes at his retreating back as it vanished up the stairs and glanced down to realise that her nightgown was on the verge of slipping off her shoulder. She glared at the door to the stairs, willing it to get all the way to Howl. When had he got chance to undo the lacing on the back without her noticing? Oh, right... Sophie bit her lip slightly at the memory. She'd probably been otherwise engaged at that point.

By the time Michael had composed himself and come back downstairs, Sophie was dressed and grilling bread over a fire - not Calcifer. The fire demon had apparently taken Howl's instructions to heart and had still not returned.

"You might want to do your hair in a mirror," Michael commented as he took the toast, still not quite meeting her eyes.

Sophie snorted. "I _would_, but the only mirror of a decent size is in the bathroom and Howl will be at least another hour in there."

In fact, it was only half an hour until Howl descended, wearing a fantastical suit of purple and gold, his freshly tinted hair shining magnificently. "Sophie, /_cariad_/!" Sophie tried - and failed- not to blush at the memory of when he had last said those words. And how he had said them. And what he had been doing when he had said them. If Howl noticed the look on her face, he didn't say anything. "You made toast?" he asked, slipping an arm around her waist from behind and planting a kiss at the corner of her mouth.

Michael made a face, but Sophie ignored him and instead slapped Howl's hand away. "I made toast for myself, and for Michael because he actually made it downstairs at a decent hour." She smiled sweetly up at him. "You can make your own, dear, because I need to go upstairs for a moment."

In the bathroom, Sophie hummed to herself as she brushed her hair out and began to braid it back in her usual style. Just before tying the ribbon in, though, something caught her eye. A tiny red mark, slightly raised and a little painful to touch, just where... Oh. Sophie tilted her chin, holding her hair back with one hand and following the line of marks down to where they disappeared below the neckline of her dress. Well, that was a little awkward. Sophie pulled the front sections of her hair back off her face and tied them back with the ribbon before carefully arranging the rest of her hair so it would cover her neck. So that's what Michael meant when he advised her to look in a mirror.

From downstairs, she heard Howl yell, "Sophie? I'm going out to Suliman's."

"Wait for me," Sophie called back, double-checking her hair before turning and running down the stairs. "I want to go and see Lettie," she added.

Howl gave her a knowing glance then nodded. "Lead the way, Michael." As they left the house, he added quietly. "I like your hair like that. Very relaxed." He flipped one of her curls and Sophie batted his hand away. "Any particular reason for the change, though?"

Wordlessly, Sophie brushed it back to show Howl the side of her neck, and gave him a sideways look. "Don't say a word," she warned him. "Just make them less visible next time."

"There's going to a next time? I look forward to it." Howl arched a single elegant eyebrow at her. "And believe me, _cariad_, there are many, _many_ places where such marks are less visible."

To hide her embarrassment, Sophie asked, "What does that even mean? _Cariad_?"

"It's got a few meanings." Howl's arm encircled her waist, tugging her closer as they walked. "Dear, love, sweetheart..." His lips just brushed her ear as he murmured, "_Lover_..."

"Not in public," Sophie muttered back, acutely aware of people's glances.

"Does that mean I'm allowed to do it in private?" Howl asked cheerfully, but before Sophie could reply he added, "And look! Here we are."

"I hate you sometimes," she told him as the door swung open.

A boy a bit younger than Michael - probably an apprentice - was stood there. "Yes?" he said, sounding a little bored.

Michael, who had been the one to knock, frowned at him. "Wizard Howl, Michael Fisher and Sophie Hatter to see Wizard Suliman."

The boy just had time to look startled at the mention of Howl's name before Sophie heard Lettie's voice from behind him. "Alright, Jack, I'll take it from here. Don't think you can get away with skipping lessons by answering the door." As the boy slouched away, muttering dire threats under his breath, Lettie ushered them all in. "Wizard Suliman's through in his workroom - I suppose you know where it is?"

Howl nodded. "Yes, of course. Sophie's here to see you though. Come along, Michael - only a few more days of this project."

"Don't tell me to _come along_ like a dog!" Michael said indignantly, but followed Howl anyway.

Lettie shot a questioning glance across at Sophie, who replied with a small secretive smile. Lettie grinned. "We can talk in my room. Come on." Sophie followed her up stairs and along corridors until they reached a cozy, good-sized room at the top of a flight of stairs.

"You look well," Sophie commented as she sat on the bed. "Black suits you, I think."

"We're studying necromancy at the moment," Lettie said, making a face. "Horrible stuff, and we have to wear the full black robes even though we don't do any practicals at the moment. But you're distracting me, Sophie! What happened after I left?"

Sophie quickly explained right up until when Howl finally kissed her, and Lettie burst out laughing. "Oh, you two are just- I don't even know. You have to be the biggest pair of idiots this side of Montalbino! Are you honestly telling me that you thought he didn't love you, and he thought you didn't love him-?"

"So we've just been moping around arguing with each other for the last few months for nothing," Sophie agreed. She quickly summarised the rest of the evening in as much detail as she thought Lettie needed to know. "So, we kissed, Calcifer interrupted _twice_, we went to bed - _separate_ beds, Lettie, there's no need to look at me like that! - and, well, with Calcifer gone it was absolutely freezing. Howl came downstairs partway through the night, realised how cold I was, and got into bed to warm me up." She frowned at her sister. "Lettie, stop grinning like that! Honestly, nothing happened except going to sleep. And kissing in the morning, but then _that_ was interrupted by Michael coming in - he'd spent the night at Martha's - and then we came here. That's _all_, so you needn't look at me like that."

Lettie pressed her fingers to her mouth, stifling a laugh. "I suppose these are only early days. But do you mean to say that Howl's trying to be a gentleman about this whole thing?"

"I suppose he must," Sophie said thoughtfully. "It makes sense, I suppose. This must be one of the first relationships that he's taken past the point of 'she loves me, now I'll leave'."

"Well, when you put it like that..." Lettie's eyes suddenly widened and she gasped. "Sophie! Do you think he's... Well, do you think he's never slept with anyone?"

Sophie shifted slightly, feeling highly uncomfortable with where this conversation was heading. "I don't think... It's _Howl_, Lettie, honestly! Do you really think-"

"What I think," Lettie said slowly. "Is that Howl doesn't strike me as the sort of person to just sleep with any old girl - he has far too high an opinion of himself for that. And it's like you said, Sophie. Whenever a girl falls in love with him - until you got him his heart back, at least - he leaves her. What if he really hasn't?"

"Lettie, I _really_ don't think this is any of our business. If Howl wants to tell me, he can, but I'm certainly not going to ask!"

Lettie pressed her older sister's hand. "Of course not! I wasn't expecting you to, I was just speculating. That's allowed, isn't it?"

"Speaking of speculating," Sophie jumped in, relieved to be changing the topic. "I've been wondering how well, you and Wizard Suliman started courting. It's not exactly something that comes up in everyday conversation, is it?"

Lettie leant back on her bed, folding her hands behind her head and smiling slightly. "Funny you should mention that, it's really rather amusing..."

The two girls spent the rest of the day sharing stories, mainly of what their respective wizards got up to and what they said behind each other's backs. It had been dark for a couple of hours when there was a knock on Lettie's door and a young apprentice poked his head in.

"Lettie? Wizard Howl said to tell you that he's going now."

Lettie stood up and passed Sophie her shawl. "Thank you. I'll come and see you off, Sophie."

Downstairs, Howl and Suliman were waiting, both looking rather tired. "Where's Michael?" Sophie asked, a little surprised.

"Sent him home about middle of the afternoon," Howl said, rubbing a hand across his face. "He was falling asleep on his feet - not used to big workings like this."

"So are both of you, by the looks of it," Lettie said in a slightly scolding tone. "For God's sake, Ben, you look like you're about to collapse! Come and sit down before you faint." She wrapped a tender arm around his and waved Howl and Sophie off before presumably leading Suliman off somewhere to sit down.

Howl watched them go with a slightly quizzical look. "Am I missing something here?" he asked.

"Probably," Sophie said, not really caring if Howl knew about Lettie and Suliman. "Now stay awake on the walk home, would you? I don't know the way, and I'm certainly not carrying you."


End file.
